Monday, June 20, 2011

I love the look of a stamped image white-embossed on Crumb Cake card, then coloured using Stampin' Up! markers. I hadn't done this for a while, so it was time to have a play with this technique.

At the card-making class I held on Saturday, we were talking of how much we love Bella Toile (which, sadly, is retiring from the US Stampin' Up! catalogue ..... an indicator that we, too, may lose it soon). I decided to use that stamp for my card. I first stamped Bella Toile in Rich Razzleberry ink on the card base, then I stamped it again on Crumb Cake card, using Versamark ink and white embossing powder. I love how 'rich' the image looks:

Just a quick post today, as I'm off to Kathmandu (the shop, not the place!) in search of a super-warm lightweight jacket for our end-of-year holiday. We're heading back to New York, and the jacket I have been using takes up about half my suitcase and weighs around 5kg. (Not very practical, especially since I NEED suitcase space for my shopping over there!). I'll be having lunch with my Mum, and enjoying a quiet spot in the middle of the day before all the manic running-around for my boys tonight ..... we leave home around 4.00pm for the first cricket lesson, and will get home around 9.00pm. Makes me exhausted just thinking about what's ahead!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Boy, I was challenged this week by Paula's choice to make the Just Add Ink challenge "black and white" only. I'm not sure that I've ever made a black and white card, and throughout the whole process I was itching to add a dash of red! However, I persisted, and managed to make a card, that I am quite happy with.

I found this colour (or are black and white technically 'tones'?) scheme rather formal, so to lighten it up a bit I added a few lightly crumpled flowers here and there. Here's the end result:

Thursday, June 9, 2011

I would like to share with you a card that is on its way to a friend, who lives too far away, who is in the fight of her life at the moment. I wanted the card to be a bit soft and girly, but with an earthy feel as well; I like the symbolism of nature, and renewal, and hope.

I've used Stampin' Up!'s French Foliage stamp set (one of my absolute favourites from the current Autumn Winter mini catalogue), but with non-autumnal colours. I really love how it turned out. I had to photograph the card inside, because the weather is SO bleak in Melbourne. It doesn't show clearly, but I used my crimper to add a bit of texture to the sentiment oval. (I've also straightened up that second pearl!)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Well, Makeesha from Inkspirations had me a bit stumped with THIS colour combo:

It was the Not Quite Navy in the mix that threw me, but I was determined to give it a try anyway. I haven't used my Friends Never Fade stamp set for AGES, so that was my starting point. I coloured directly onto the stamp with Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz markers, and repeated the image along the strip of Whisper White card, which was adhered to my card base. My super-duper new Crimper has seen a bit more action, and of course my card wouldn't be complete without butterflies!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

As soon as I saw this week's Color Lab challenge, I knew I wanted to use my new Eat Chocolate stamp set. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think to put these colours together, but I love the addition of the blue to the other rich colours that I often reach for.

I made a gift set, of a little treat bag/box (I have decided it's a bag, but couldn't decided whether to use a little clip, or ribbon, to fasten it, so have left it open for now!), and a 10cm square card. I think I had my head on a bit crooked when I stamped the card, but I love the little bag! Take a look:

Don't those colours look great together?!

Here are closer shots of the bag and card, and lists of the Stampin' Up! products used to create them:

Stamps: Eat Chocolate, Confetti, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Card: Riding Hood Red textured, Whisper White

DSP: Early Espresso and Not Quite Navy Patterns Designer Series Papers

Friday, June 3, 2011

I have had my Stampin' Up! Scallop Circle die for ages (planned to make Christmas cards with it last year, but that didn't eventuate). Until today, it had been unused. In the spirit of showing some love to my neglected supplies, I have made a little card that was inspired by this week's sketch over at Just Add Ink.

I'm not a circular card kind of girl, so I am very unsure about this one, but I'll share it anyway! The colour scheme is this week's challenge at The Color Throwdown.

Given my time over, I wouldn't have sponged the edges of the white card with Melon Mambo, but it is what it is!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

I have just inked up, for the first time, my new Eat Chocolate stamp set from Stampin' Up! It is such a cute, fun, set, which I decided was perfect to use for a couple of customer "thank you" note cards this week.

I'm not alone, I'm sure, in my love of any stamps that co-ordinate with Stampin' Up!'s punches. The new Decorative Label punch is designed to use with one of the stamps in Eat Chocolate. I love the little chocolates, but am not so keen on the sentiment - so I customised it!

I used my Stampin' Write markers to colour in the chocolates and frame, which I stamped onto Whisper White card. I just omitted the sentiment. Once I'd stamped my image, I used my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the greeting I wanted inside the frame. I'm now in LOVE with this stamp! See how easy it is to make the most of stamps that might not at first be your favourites?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Last weekend, when I showed you a few cards I'd made with colour combinations suggested by Stampin' Up!'s Color Coach, the gorgeous Sharnee Torrents suggested I take a look at a colour combo using River Rock:

Hmmmm ..... well, I took this as a challenge, and ran with it!

Firstly, I'd like to share this photo that I 'lifted' from Sharnee's blog; this is the two of us at Stampin' Up! Convention recently:

What a sweetheart Sharnee is; it was a joy to watch her present her Workshop Wow to HUNDREDS of people without the slightest quiver in her voice - such a natural. I was so pleased we met in person at Convention, as we often share a bit of 'bloggy love' between us! So, Sharnee, this card is in honour of you!

I have used my rather neglected Stampin' Pastels (that's my mission this week - to use neglected products!), in River Rock and Tangerine Tango, to colour the focal image. I think my 'cloudy' effect around the flowers just adds to the ambience, so don't be thinking I didn't do it on purpose! :)